An Unexpected New Groove
by WickedBrony
Summary: What if Yzma got a horribly cruel idea to get rid of Kuzco? Now he's in Agrahba, disguising himself as a street rat in order to escape his master. At least he's got Aladdin...
1. An Unexpected Encounter

**Disclaimer: NOT MINE!** **(Characters aren't, anyway.)**

Aladdin was not expecting anything out of the ordinary that day.

He was not expecting to get caught by the most inattentive stall owner at the marketplace. He was not expecting to have to outrun the guards for a stupid apple. He didn't think that they would be so utterly stupid as to continue to run straight ahead while he ducked into an alleyway. And, most importantly, Aladdin did not, in a million years, ever suspect him. It was either a very chance encounter, or fate. Years later, Aladdin would decide to lean towards the latter. For the moment, though, he had a thin, angular, and for that matter, _frightened_ young man to deal with.

"You've gotta help me!" he cried desperately, clutching Aladdin by the arm holes of his vest. "If Master finds me, he's gonna flog me until I can't stand on my own two legs...And that's if I'm lucky! Trust me, I am not a lucky man!" He shook Aladdin back and forth in pure fear.

"Ok, first of all, calm down." Aladdin pried the strange boy off of him. "Secondly, you're a runaway slave?"

There was a slight pause.

"Runaway slave…heh…see, there's a problem with that…it sounds illegal. I…prefer the term…freedom reclaimer…?"

"Thirdly, is your master looking for you?" Aladdin asked, as that was crucial to his plan.

"Not yet. But he will be. He will be soon!"

Unfortunately, this particular shout caught the attention of someone nearby. And that someone nearby happened to be a guard. The two young men gave each other a look of mutual _I need to get outta here or else I'm screwed_ before running as fast as they could in the direction away from the guard. Proper introductions could wait until the threat was out of sight.

It may have been three or four miles before they finally were able to stop underneath some abandoned buildings and breath. It may have been fifty. Aladdin didn't really care, and neither did the strange young man. So long the threat was out of sight, they were happy.

"So…I don't think…I told you…my name." Aladdin said, speaking between breaths. "I'm…Aladdin."

"Kuzco." The strange young man said. Aladdin blinked, looking up at him.

"You're…not from…around here…are you?"

There was a slight pause as Kuzco regained his breath. "I'm a freedom reclaimer. Did you really _think_ I was from around here?"

Aladdin nodded. "Fair point. So, where are you from?"

"West." Kuzco thought for a moment. "Far west. Like 'I'm-from-across-the-ocean' west."

Aladdin blinked. And blinked again. "Um…what's an ocean?"

"You mean, you don't know?" Kuzco asked. Aladdin shook his head. "Alright, well…picture a lake, bigger than any you've ever seen-"

"What's a lake?"

Kuzco stared at him flatly. "My name is Kuzco. _Kuz-co_. Don't you think that speaks for itself?"

"Yeah, that does stand out." Aladdin looked over him, suddenly getting an idea. "But…you don't…"

"Huh?"

Aladdin walked around him, muttering to himself. "Pants are patchy and baggy…skin's the same shade as mine…hair should be shorter…"

"What's this about my hair?" Kuzco put a hand up to his hair, holding it possessively.

"You need a vest, of some sort." Aladdin was once again face-to-face with Kuzco. "But I think I can make it work. You could look like…you know…like you live on the streets too. You could be my brother…I got it! Raj! I'll call you Raj!"

"Hold it!" Kuzco's eyes narrowed. "I appreciate the thought, but I don't want to give up my hair. And I certainly don't want to give up my _nam_ e!"

"You won't give up your name. You'll just say it's Raj to anyone who isn't me!" Aladdin defended. "And what's the big deal with your hair? I'm not getting rid of all of it, just making it shorter."

Kuzco looked down. "It's all I have left…from _before_."

Aladdin had a fairly good idea of what Kuzco meant, and shot him a look of sympathy. "Let me ask you something. Is your haircut enough of an identifier that your master would be able it was you in a crowd?"

Kuzco thought a minute, then nodded sadly.

"Then if you really want to be successful in running…I mean, reclaiming your freedom," he amended when he noticed Kuzco's pointed look. _Seesh, if looks could kill…_ "You need to get rid of anything your master could use to recognize you…within reason. Hair included."

Kuzco bit his lip, then something occurred to him. "Alright, so I cut my hair. But here's a question, mister smarty-pants. What am I going to cut it with?"

* * *

"You keep broken glass in your…place?" Kuzco asked, ducking into the entrance. Aladdin, admittedly, did not have much. Kuzco was pretty sure that blanket on the ground, directly in front of the window, was his bed.

"Yeah. I have to keep my hair short, so someone doesn't confuse me, for…you know…a 'freedom reclaimer.'" Aladdin was picking up a piece of glass as he said this. "This ought to be sharp enough. Alright, now turn around."

Kuzco bit his lip, but nodded and obeyed. Aladdin walked over, gathering the boys hair into a small ponytail, and cutting it along the base.

"There. You'll blend in now." Aladdin said, walking over to the window and making sure there was no one underneath before scattering the hair to fall in the street below.

"Except for a vest," Kuzco pointed out quickly. Aladdin quickly got a red vest out from under a pillow and tossed it to Kuzco.

"Here. Take it."

Kuzco's eyed widened. "You're…you're giving it…to me?"

Aladdin looked at Kuzco and grinned. "You're not a slave anymore, right? Consider it a gift for your very first freedom day."

Kuzco smiled, and slipped it on. "Thanks."

"No problem, Raj." Aladdin walked over and clapped him on the shoulder. "So, how long have you been free?"

"Um, since noon. Today."

Aladdin looked out. The sun was setting. "Well, a few hours is better than some, but I take it you'd rather be free for the rest of your life." Kuzco nodded. "Well, why not stick around? No offence, but being a slave is different from being-"

"A street rat?"

Aladdin gave a glare of his own. "I was going to say in poverty."

Kuzco produced a nervous little smile, and ran his hair through his newly-cut hair. "Heh. Sorry."

Aladdin rolled his eyes. "We've got a _looooong_ way to go."


	2. As Time Flys By

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. Even though Aladdin is technically in the public domain.**

 _Three months after meeting_

"I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to feel this warm," Aladdin finally admitted, taking his hand off Kuzco's forehead. "No doubt about it. You're sick. Just rest up today, alright? You should feel better tomorrow."

"Great to…cough, cough…verify that," Kuzco wheezed, lying on the surface that was the closest thing to a bed he'd had in years. "Sorry I can't…cough…help you out today. Cough cough cough. Do we…cough…still have some of that…cough…sleep stuff?"

Aladdin shook his head. "But I can see if I can snag some at the marketplace."

"Have I…cough…ever told you…cough…I'd have never made it a day…cough cough…"

"Just get some rest. I promise you'll recover." Aladdin ruffled Kuzco's hair. Kuzco nodded, beginning to fall back to sleep.

 _Please recover, Kuzco. You're the only friend I have._

 _Five months after meeting_

"A…monkey." Kuzco looked at the creature perched on Aladdin's shoulder a little oddly. "You got a monkey."

"His name's Abu, and he is one of the sneakiest little thieves I've ever seen." Aladdin patted the monkey's head. "Because of him, today we feast!" He tossed Kuzco an apple, before giving one to both Abu and himself. Kuzco's eyes widened.

"Seriously? The monkey stole from the apple vendor?"

"And the bread vendor, and he managed to get some jewelry. I returned the jewelry."

"Really, Aladdin? I would've thought it obvious we need jewelry. Wouldn't some earrings look great on me?" Kuzco said with a straight face. It lasted for all of about three seconds before both boys broke out laughing.

"Alright, Abu can stay." Kuzco smiled. "But I am a little miffed that he got more than I did."

"Hey, you did pretty well for your first time alone." Aladdin said in an effort to cheer him up. "And it's not your fault you had to toss the melon to get the guards off your tail."

"So you say." Kuzco looked out. "Sometimes I wonder if I'm really cut out for this, you know? I mean, I don't want to go back to slavery, but…"

"You'll be fine. Don't worry. Anyway, learning curve can't be that bad. I mean, what were you before you were a slave?"

A tense pause.

"I'll tell you…some other time." Kuzco said, looking around. "Come on, it's getting dark." _You would never believe me if I told you._

 _Nine months after meeting_

Aladdin blinked, trying to process the new information. "A prince."

"Yep." Kuzco nodded.

"You're telling me that before you were a slave, you were a prince?!" Aladdin tried to clarify. "Like, an actual, rich, spoiled, I say jump you say how high…prince?"

"The crown prince." Kuzco nodded. "Next in line to inherit the throne."

Aladdin's mouth dropped in shock, as did Abu's. "And…and you didn't have security…or disguise yourself…or-"

Kuzco put a finger on Aladdin's lips. "My father's head advisor was a woman named Yzma. She was inhumanly old…living proof that dinosaurs once walked the earth…scary beyond all reason. She was also clever, egotistical, and power-hungry. You see, technically, if I wasn't around to inherit the throne, Yzma would rule in my place. I guess she figured being half a world away would kinda knock me down the line a peg."

"But…how?!"

"I wish I knew how the deal went down. All I remember is the…execution…of said deal." Kuzco winced at the memory. "She…she had somehow convinced my father she was the only security needed…red flag number one…so it was only she and I in the forest. Then…these men appeared out of nowhere…" He took in a breath. "I was six then. I have no idea how old I am now."

Aladdin was silent for a moment, looking at his friend in a new light. The long-lost crown prince of an entire nation…stealing bread in order to get by. It seemed so…surreal.

"Yeah, I know, unbelievable." Kuzco said with the ghost of a smile. "But it's true."

This was the boy he'd taught how to steal food. How to outrun the guards. How to duck into an alleyway, think on his feet, run directly into Razoul and live to tell the tale. He was a prince?!

"Well…no wonder you had such a learning curve." Aladdin finally said.

Kuzco brightened. "So you believe me?"

"Hey, you've never lied to me before." Aladdin grinned. "Besides, that's a bit much for you to come up with on your own."

"Hey!" Kuzco pushed him. "I betcha I could come up with something better than that! I'm actually a prince…from the moon!"

Aladdin laughed. "That's the best you could come up with?"

"Alright…I was born from a union between the moon and stars…"

 _One Year after meeting_

"…so then, I'm there on the roof, and Razoul has me in his sights, and the fish is kinda starting to slip, so I tighten my grip, and it looks like I'm doomed. Doomed!" Kuzco recounted, taking a bite of the fish. "But then, I notice that the stairs Razoul had come from were just there, unguarded, and with barrels right there at the entrance, so…yeah. So then, I run towards our place, and all the sudden, a group of guards pops up out of nowhere-"

"And that's where you're lying." Aladdin said. "Guards don't spontaneously appear."

Kuzco shrugged. "But I did outsmart Razoul. I mean, it's not hard, but that's gotta count for something."

Aladdin smiled. "You've really come a long way, haven't you?"

Kuzco grinned. "Yep. I now consider myself an expert of street living." He paused, as a sudden thought occurred to him. "Hey, Aladdin? This may seem off topic, but…"

A quiet, comfortable silence passed between the two before Kuzco finally asked,

"Do you consider me a brother?"

Aladdin blinked. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, it's just…someone did run into me, but he was someone like us, you know? Anyway, he asked who I was and I said Raj, and he identified me as 'Aladdin's little brother.' I mean, I know I tell people I'm your brother, but it got me thinking…"

Aladdin nodded, biting his lip. "Do…do you consider me a brother?"

"Well…you've taught everything I need to know about living in poverty. That's what an older brother does, isn't it?"

Aladdin smiled. "So, you're the little brother?"

Kuzco chuckled slightly. "Yeah, I guess." He looked over. "Seriously, though."

Aladdin nodded slowly. "I…I guess you are. It's getting hard to remember how I got by without you."

Kuzco smiled. "You mean it?"

"Yes, I mean it." Aladdin clapped Kuzco on the shoulder.

"It's just…I haven't really been able to call anyone my family since…well, Yzma."

Aladdin ruffled Kuzco's hair, grinning at him. "I didn't have any family, either. You make a pretty good little brother, though."

"Thanks."

And the two brothers sat in a content silence.


	3. All This for a Loaf of Bread?

**Disclaimer: No, I did not become the CEO of Disney.**

Aladdin was the first one awake. No surprise there...Aladdin was always the first one awake. Up before Abu, and _definitely_ up before Kuzco. Aladdin chuckled to himself, remembering something Kuzco had said concerning that habit.

 _"Mornings have about as much to do with me as piles of gold."_

Upon discovering Kuzco was a prince, Aladdin had immediately pointed out the quote was misleading, considering that at one point Kuzco did have a lot to do with piles of gold. Kuzco had then countered that the point of his life had been just that…a point in his life, and one long past. Still, Aladdin figured, it probably wouldn't hurt to remind him one was _supposed_ to wake up in the morning. After gently waking up Abu, he crept over to Kuzco, gently shaking him. Kuzco groaned, shifting slightly.

"Five more minutes, Mommy," he muttered, still in dreamland. Aladdin rolled his eyes. Kuzco merely smiled in his sleep. "Yummy…llama…"

"Kuzco…Kuzco…" Aladdin whispered, continuing to shake his brother. No response, other than him continuing to mutter about dreamy nonsense. Then, a wicked idea crossed Aladdin's mind, and he grinned. "Look out! Yzma!"

" _What?!_ " Kuzco was up in a split-second, standing and his eyes darting around the room. "Where? How? When? Who? Why?" There was no Yzma, but that only caused Kuzco to look at his brother in anger and irritation. " _Aladdin!_ " He lunged, tackling his brother to the ground. Abu sat back and watched the show.

"Hey! I was just trying to get you to wake up!" Aladdin defended, tossing his brother off and attempting to run.

"Well, I'm awake. You _happy_?" Kuzco growled, holding his brother back. "You shouldn't joke around. You almost gave me a heart attack!"

Aladdin broke the grip and ran as Kuzco gave chase. "Well, how would Yzma ever get here?"

" _I_ got here!"

Aladdin paused, stepping out of the way as Kuzco ran into the wall and fell down, seeing stars. "Well, I guess _that's_ true…"

"Why did you wake me up?" Kuzco groaned, lying flat on his back. Aladdin smiled.

"One year ago today, we made each other brothers."

Kuzco looked up, smiling. "Oh, yeah…so, you thought that such an occasion deserves a celebration, right?"

Aladdin nodded, smiling as well.

"Well, you know what you could do to make it extra special?" Kuzco asked, his tone sugary-sweet.

"No, what?"

"Come here." Kuzco sat up, and motioned Aladdin closer. Aladdin leaned in. "Closer, closer," Kuzco said, quieter with every word. Aladdin was very close, less than an inch away. Kuzco put his mouth up to Aladdin's ear and shouted " _Let me sleep in next time_!"

Aladdin held his hand over his ears, trying to stop the ringing sound that had suddenly appeared. "But the marketplace is about to open, and I need your help to get what I want to celebrate."

Kuzco stood up, intrigued. "Oh, really? What would that be?"

Aladdin grinned. " _Freshly baked bread_. Best in the whole marketplace."

Kuzco gasped, and Abu chattered excitedly, rushing up onto Aladdin's shoulder. "Freshly…baked…bread…" Kuzco's mouth watered, and his stomach growled. Then a thought occurred to him. "Wait a minute…a loaf of bread? From _Arbutus_?! He's the hardest guy to steal from in the whole marketplace!"

"Which is why I need your assistance!" Aladdin patted his brother on the back. "You've come a long way from chucking your melons!"

Kuzco stared at him coldly.

"Freshly baked bread…soft…warm…" Aladdin said, once again making Kuzco's mouth water. "A whole loaf…"

"So…good…" Kuzco subconsciously licked his lips. "Well...I guess it's not _impossible_ to steal from Arbutus...we just need the right strategy...maybe number 42..."

Aladdin smiled. This was going to be a good day.

* * *

The two young men skidded to a stop near the edge of the roof, Kuzco struggling to keep hold of the loaf.

"Think we'll be safe up here?" Kuzco asked, looking down into street, then back at Aladdin.

"I'll have your hands among my _trophies_ , street rats!" A voice shouted behind them. Kuzco sighed.

"I _had_ to ask." He turned around, a nervous smile on his face. "Razoul! Have you been working out? You look like you've been working out."

The group of men growled.

"Gentlemen, gentlemen…come on, really. All this for a loaf of bread? See the big picture, guys!" He then leaned in towards Aladdin. "I could really use one of those split-second escape plans, Aladdin," he whispered.

"I'm working on it!" Aladdin whispered back. "Ok, on the count of three, jump onto the clotheslines down there. Make sure you can slide to the bottom. Ok?"

"Got it." Kuzco nodded once before leaning forward to face the guards, smiling nervously.

"Three!" Aladdin jumped, followed quickly by Kuzco, using the ropes to somewhat surf on their feet. Twelve years ago, Kuzco would have winced from the rope burn. Now, however, the years of both slavery and poverty had built up incredible callouses on his feet, and he felt nothing. He did, however, slip off the ropes when his brother caused him to lose his balance.

"Woah!" he yelled, slipping through clothes that gathered around him. Despite the circumstances, the only thing going through his head was _I really hope I'm not accidentally wearing woman's clothing_. A large pile of clothing eventually found its way down, with two arms reaching out of them. The bread landed in the left hand, and while Aladdin looked pleased as they emerged wearing cloaks and was holding the bread triumphantly, Kuzco looked slightly miffed.

"Forget what I said. Stealing from Arbutus… _never_ a good idea."

"You won't get away from us so easily next time, street rats!" the guards called from the roof.

Kuzco snorted. "You think that was _easy_?"

Aladdin nodded towards some ladies, and Kuzco immediately walked towards them with Aladdin. "Morning, ladies!" Aladdin said.

"How're the kids?" Kuzco asked, a false smile pasted on his lips.

The ladies chuckled. "Getting into trouble a little early today, aren't we, boys?" One of them said knowingly.

"Trouble? Pfft, nah." Kuzco shook his head.

"You're only in _trouble_ if you get _caught_." Aladdin explained.

"Yeah, and let's face it, we're _way_ too smart for those dunderheads to even try-"

"Gotcha!" Suddenly, both boys were swept up, one in each arm of Razoul. The two boys gulped.

"We're in trouble!" Both of them said.

"And this time, I'll-" Whatever Razoul was going to say, it was interrupted by Abu, who pulled down his hat over his eyes, forcing him to let go.

"Perfect timing, Abu. As usual." Aladdin grinned.

"Abu!" The monkey took off the little fez he wore.

"Come on, Aladdin, let's get out of here!" Kuzco urged, pulling his brother away.

"Right. So long as we don't run into any other guards, we should be-"

At that moment, a large, intimidating guard appeared before them. The two boys looked at each other; one in annoyance and the other sporting an apologetic grin. Thinking quickly, Aladdin jumped onto a barrel of fish, causing the sword to swing in his direction and distracting the guard long enough for both of them to rush in the opposite direction.

"Ok, new plan. These don't seem like the shiniest swords in Razoul's collection. I vote Gambit 12," Kuzco said, rushing by the buildings.

"Gambit 12?" Aladdin asked. "I don't know…"

"That's what you said about strategy 42! I thought it was a goldmine, but _no_ , you said. _Too likely to backfire_ , you said-"

"Alright, fine." Aladdin agreed. "I'll take Abu and the bread, we'll meet at the stalker's. I should shake them off by then. Fair?"

"Fair." Kuzco ducked into a nearby alleyway while Aladdin ran straight ahead. This was going to be interesting, at the very least. He pressed himself against the wall, breathing heavily. The plan had worked, so he wasn't being followed. For now. So there was at least one of them outside of the guards minds. All Aladdin needed to do was divert them further before the two of them met up.

Which was sometimes easier said than done, but hey. Such was life.

Now that he had caught his breath, he started to stumble on forward. He knew exactly where Aladdin meant…mostly because both of them tended to avoid that place like the plague…and it would be a perfect meeting place. He just hoped Aladdin didn't get himself caught.

 _Your brother never gets himself caught. You do, remember?_ said a voice in his head. One that sounded suspiciously like his old Master. Kuzco rolled his eyes, having long since been resigned to the fact that his insecurities either sounded like him or Yzma.

 _Not for long._ He kept himself on high alert, eyes peeled for any sign of trouble. The last thing he needed was to be caught because of his own arrogance.

...Again.

The voices of the city seemed to meld together as he walked towards the stalkers house.

"Topaz, you said? How much for a pendent?"

"Sugar dates! Sugar dates and beans! Sugar dates and pistachios!"

"This really is work for a slave. I wish we'd never lost him."

"Mama! Mama!"

"Those two are going to be the death of me."

"Did you hear about the war across the ocean? I heard the king's own advisor overthrew him!"

For some reason, that last one made him shudder.

Finally, though, he reached the building, leaning against the side wall. No way, no how was he getting any closer to the entrance then he had to. Now all he had to do was wait for Aladdin, Abu, and a legion of guards.

Wait…

Kuzco suddenly found himself being dragged by the wrist as Aladdin ran by. Kuzco raised an eyebrow.

"I thought you said you'd get them off our tail-"

"I was wrong, ok?! Shut up and run!"

Kuzco sighed, yanking his hand out of the grip. "I _assume_ you have a plan B?"

At that point, Aladdin stopped them, taking note of a nearby building. He grinned. "I do now."

"What's with the face? I don't like the face-"

"Trust me!"

Kuzco sighed. "I just hope this isn't the day you cease to amaze me." He followed Aladdin up the stairs, hopping into the nearest building. At that point, Aladdin had lifted up a carpet. Kuzco gulped.

"Here goes nothing." Aladdin said when Kuzco caught up to him. Kuzco nodded, and then…

They jumped.


End file.
